Projectile and process of making the same.



zn. H. ARMSTRONG.

PROJECTILE AND PROCESS -OF MAKING THE SAME.

Patented Spia. 18, 1917.

` APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 19.16. 1,240,293.

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DENSON H. ARMSTRONG, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

PROJCTILE AND PROCESSOF MAKING THE SAME.

Speeication of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 18, 1917.

Application led liuly 26, 1916. j Serial No. 111,479.

small arms using high explosives, and of that type wherein the body ofthe projectile is of soft metal and carries an external jacketconsisting of a strand of wire sheathed with threads of cotton 0r othersuitable material and wound spirally, the jacket forming a vehicle for alubricant; and to an improved method of making the same.

The broad or general type of projectile above referred to is well knownand is disclosed in the patent to Lisle No.1622, ?72 of- April 11, 1899;and inasmuch-as projectiles of this type have been in common use for anumber of years, their radical advantages are well known and appreciatedand need not be discussed in this specification.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide aprojectile of the broad type stated and a method of making the samewhereby an unusually strong and secure union of the jacket and theprojectile body is effected, and the projectiles will uniformly havegreat'penetrating power and aV true flight in a flattrajectory, andwhereby the manufacture of the projectiles may be carried on moreexpeditiously, with greatly 'i lessened cost, with practically no lossby reason of bad or defective projectiles and with uniform superiorityof the product achieved.

The nature of the invention will be ex-v plained atlength in thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein 4 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the spirally woundjacket;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the projectile prior toswaging; and.A

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the finished projectile. i

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

The jacket 1 consists of a fine strand of wire of suitable ductile metalharder than the body of the projectile, which 1s sheathed with layers ofthreads 2 of cotton or other suitable material,4 the said threads beingWound Spirally about the wire strand. The strand is then wound spirallyinto the form of a cylinder whose convolutions are preferably inimmediate juxtaposition or in contact with one another; and the ends ofthe strand are extended, as at 3 and 4, in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the cylinder, the extended end 3 being locatedwithin the'cylinder and the extended end 4 projecting beyond thecylinder.

In makingl the projectiles the jackets originally constructed 'as' abovedescribed are placed within the molds and thereafter the molten metal ispoured in the molds whereby the body 5 will be cast within 4the jacketwhose axially extended ends 3 and 4 will be securely anchored lorembedded inthe said body. i o

Fig. 2 shows the projectile at the completion of the molding operationand afterit has been cut from the sprue. At this point it should benotedthat experience has demonstrated that the molten metal does not ofthe jacket is sheathed and that the projectile maybe removed from themold with much greater facility and safety than is possible in themethod heretofore employed in manufacturing,projectiles of the type towhich the present invention relates. The association of the jacket withthe projectile body by casting the latter within the jacket not onlyestablishes an eiicient initial union of the jacket and the projectilebody but also renders it unnecessary to weakenthe body by cutting deepgrooves therein in which the ends of the jacket may be secured.

The projectile as taken from the mold is subcaliber; and in this' formis placed.

in a suitable swage and subjected to pressure burn the threads withwhich the' wire strand by a suitable arrangement of plungers whereby thefinished projectiles will all be of uniform weight and size,surplusmetal will be removed from the pointof the bullet slug, and the usualgas check 6 will be apioo i plied to the shoulder'of the bullet body inthe rear of the jacket.

The swaging operation brings the bullet up to the required caliber,shortens its length and increases its diameter. This operation asappliedto a bullet in accordance with the the form and present inventionchanges dimensions of the jacket, lshortenin the length of the latter,considered as a cylinder,

and increasing the diameter and, hence, the

circumference of its convolutions; and by virtue of this change in theform and dimensions vof the jacket fin connection with the shorteningand expansion of that-portion of the projectile body which the jacketsurrounds, insures a union of the strongest pos- -sible characterbetween' the jacket and the projectile body.

jacketv is formed permits of the increase inv diameter and circumferenceof the convolutions as described, the cotton sheathlng of the wirepermits of the closer association or crowding' of the convolutions inconsequerbce of the 'shortening of the length 'of the jacket, consideredas a cylinder, and the immediate juxtaposition or vcontact'of theconvolutions of the jacket provides an uninterrupted surfaceagainst-which the portion of the projectilevbody within the jacket bearsandby virtue of which'the convolutions of the jacket will not cut intosaid body, or,

. stated otherwise,the material of said body areawith theriflin of thegun, thus promotingthe cleanin o the gun by the projectile and insuringo 4the accuracy of the flight of the projectile. Moreover, when theprojectile is swaged to the required'caliber, the

wire in which the jacket is formed isA stretched to a certain extentandthe convolutions of the jacket are under tensioning The ductility ofthe wire from which the;

circumferential stress, the effect of which is to prevent any flatteningor vexpansion, of the projectile body when it strikes the target and,hence, to insure that the projectile shall have great penetrating powerand to avoid any substantial loss Aof metal during itsfr penetration.v

I claim- 1; A projectilel comprising a jacket and a soft metal bodywithin the jacket, the jacket consisting of a strand of ductile. wiresheathed 'with threads of cotton or like matewhoseconvolutions contactwith one another and are under .tensioning clrcumferential stress andcompressive transverse stress and rial and wound spirally to form acylinder whoseends are extended an ularly and emi bedded within the softmeta body.

2. The method of making a yprojectile for small arms which consists incoiling a strand.l

of ductile wire into the form of a cylinder whose convolutions are incontact, in casting the soft metal body of the' projectile subcaliberwitliin said cylinder and vanchoring the ends of said cylinder in saidbody, and in thereafter swaging the projectile to bring it up to the reuired caliber whereby vthe convolutions of t e cylinderare increased indiameter and circumference,A are' crowded against one another, and bearwith increased press/ure on the` inclosed portion of the soft metalbody. Y.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

DENSON H. ARMSTRONG. Witnesses: f

` I-I. ERNEST vWARimN,

' CHARLES W. SAWYER.

